Hammock-support.



No. 641,033. Patented 1an. 9, |000.

|. E. PALMER. f

HANIMCK SUPPORT.

(Application led June 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

fm@ yzZZ/f: Y M L barren rains ATEN FFlC@ ISAAC F.. PALMER, OFMIDDLETOVN, CONNECTICUT.

AHAIVIIVIOCK-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,033, dated January9, 1900.

Application filed .Tune 26, 1899. Serial No. 721,911. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ISAAC E. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, anda'resident of Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement inHammock-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in ham mock-supports, oneobject being to provide a hammock-support in which the backbone orridge-pole is made extensible and contractible, so that the said supportmay be conveniently packed for shipment and when set up for use may beextended to suit the wish of the occupant of the hammock supported byit.

A further Objectis to provide an effective means for rigidly clampingthe legs of the support to the ends of the ridge-pole.

A still further object is to provide metallic brackets for the severalparts, which may be clamped rigidly thereto without the use of bolts.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a view of the support in endelevation as it appears when set up for use, the position of the legswhen released from their clamping engagement with the ridge-pole forpermitting the legs to be removed from the ridge-pole being shown indotted lines. Fig. 2 is a view of the support in side elevation, thesupport being shown in an extended position in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is apartial top plan view of the support. Fig. 4t is an enlarged detail endview showing the manner of clamping the legs to the ridge-pole. Fig. 5is a detail sectional view with the parts in the same position as inFig. 4l. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4., showing the position ofthe parts when the legs are swung away from each other for releasingthem from engagement with the ridge-pole to permit the legs to beremoved therefrom. Fig. '7 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 4:.Fig. S is an enlarged detail front View of the device for clamping oneof the extensible sections of the ridgepole to the middle section. Fig.9 is a transverse vertical section through the same. Fig. 10 is atransverse vertical sectional view through the middle section of theridge-pole,

showing the bracket for rigidly spacing the side bars of the sectionapart. Fig. 1l is a top plan view of the same; and Fig. l2 is aview ofthe inner end of one of the extensible sections, showing the bracket forrigidly spacing the top and bottom bars apart.

The backbone or ridge-pole of the support is composed of a middlesection a and two extensible end sections b and c. section a comprisestwo Y longitudinal side bars, which are rigidly spaced apart at a pointabout midway their lengths by a bracket d, which bracket has twovertical portions d d2,

,which extend along the inner sides of the side bars, top and bottomwebs cl3 d4, which connect the vertical portions, and top and bottomextensions d5 d6 and which embrace the top and bottom edges of the sidebars lay over their outer sides. The side bars of the middle section arerigidly secured together at all times only by the bracket ol. One of thesaid side bars is provided with a longitudinal central rib di', whichextends inwardly along its inner side opposite to a similar rib d8,extending along the inner side of the other side bar.

Each of the extension end sections b and c consists of top and bottomlongitudinal bars spaced apart at both ends, which bars are fitted toslide along within the middle section d of the support, the longitudinalribs of the said middle section serving to guide the extensible sectionin its inward and outward movements. The inner ends of the longitudinaltop and bottom bars of the extensible section are rigidly spaced apartby means of a bracket c. The bracket e is provided with a vertical webwhich extends inwardly, which web is adapted to be driven into the endsof the two bars. The bracket e is further provided with pairs oflaterally-extended wings, which are iitted to embrace the top and'bottomedges of each of the bars, which wings are preferably caused to impingethe wood of the said bars, so as to hold them rigidly in position.

p The outer ends of the top and bottom bars of each of the extensiblesections are rigidly spaced apart by means of a bracket f, which brackethas an inwardly-extended vertical web f', which is itted to be driveninto the ends of the said bars. The bracket fis further provided with apair of inwardly-ex- The middleA IDO tended branches f2 f 3, fitted toembrace the top bar, and a pair of branches f4 f5, iitted to embrace thebottom bar of the extensible section. The opposite edges of the severalbranches are preferably serrated to form teeth, which teeth are bentinto the wood of the bars, so as to securely clamp the bracket in itsposition Without the use of bolts. The spacin g-bracket fis furtherprovided between the upper and'lower branches with two pairs of seatsffl, one pair of seats- 6, for instance--being located at the outer endof the bracket and the other pair of seats f7 being located at the innerend of the said bracket. The bracket is further provided at the innerend of its lowermost branch f with a downwardly-extended lug g forpreventing the su pporting-legs from being shoved too far in* wardlyfrom the ridge-pole.

The means which I employ for clamping the extensible sections of theridge-pole to the middle section in any desired longitudinal adjustmentconsist of fastening devices located Y port.

at the ends of the said middle section, each of which clamping devicesis composed of the following parts: A clip h is secured to the outerside of one of the side bars of the middle section near its end and asecond clip 'L' is secured to the outer side of the opposite side bar ata point opposite to the clip h. A screwbolt j passes through the clips hand el and the side bars, the head of the bolt being engaged with theouter face of the clip h, forinstance, and its screw-threaded endprojecting beyond the outer face of the clip c'. The screw-threaded endof the said boltj is engaged by a clamping-nut k, which nut ispreferably provided with an operating-handle, so as to permit aconsiderable purchase to be obtained by the operator upon the said nutfor causing the nut to draw the side bars of the middle section snuglyinto engagement with the top and bottom bars of the extensible sectionwhen the nut is screwed home. As the nut 7c is unscrewed the extensiblesection will be released and may be slid longitudinally to the pointdesired, when it may be again clamped.

The ridge-pole is supported by four legs, arranged in pairs at itsopposite ends. As the two pairs are alike, I will only describe the legsZ and m at one end of the sup- Each leg consists of a bar split from itsupper end'a considerable portion of its length. The leg may be made of asingle piece, or it may be made of separate pieces secured irmlytogether. A bracket n is provided with a pair of inwardly extendedbranches n n2, fitted to embrace one of the bifurcated ends of the legZ, and another pair of branches n3 n4, arranged to embrace the other ofthe bifurcated ends of the leg l. A web a5 connects the branches n2 n3of the said bracket. A bracket 0, quite similar to the bracket a, isprovided with two pairs of branches o 02 o3 o, which are arranged toembrace the bifurcated ends of the leg m. This bracket o is alsoprovided with a web o5 for connecting the branches o2 o3. The edges ofthe several branches of the brackets n and o are preferably serrated toform teeth, which are caused to impinge the wood of the supporting-legs,so as to rigidly secure the supporting-legs within the brackets withoutthe use of bolts.

The brackets n and o are hinged to inner and outer collars p and q byhinge-pintles r and s, which collars are fitted to slide loosely overthe end of the ridge-pole until they are stopped by the engagement ofthe collar p with the lug g, carried by the bracket f.'

The brackets n and 0 are provided with pairs of inwardly-extended shoest and u, which are adapted to engage the seats in the bracket f and gripthe collars p and qrigidly to the ridge-pole when the legs are drawninwardly toward each other. When the legs are swung outwardly away fromeach other, the pairs of shoest and a are swung away from theirengagement with the seats, and the collars p and q are thereby released,permitting the pair of legs to be removed from the rid ge-pole.

The leg-brackets n and o are provided on their branches n4 o4 with lugsa6 06, arranged to limit the outward-swinging movement of the legsl andm by their engagement with the collar q.

The pairs of legs are locked in their position nearest to each other forclamping the legs rigidly to the backbone by a link connection, which iscomposed of a pair of rods w w, hinged together, the rod w being hingedto a gripping device 0o, itted to slide along the leg Z, and the rod 1 0being hinged to a gripping device iitted to slide along the leg m. Asthe gripping devices x and y are slid upwardly the legs Z and m may beswung away from each other, thus permitting the removal from andinsertion of the legs onto the ridge-pole. This link connection w w willpermit the legs to be folded closely together when not in use.

One of the collars, in the present instance the collar q, is providedwith a suitable hook z for the attachment thereto of one end of ahammock.

The support as above constructed is very simple and strong, is composedof a very few parts, is quickly adjustable, and readily set up or takendown.

The several metallic parts hereinbefore described may be made of somemalleable metal, so as to permit them to be firmly secured in theirrespective places.

This construction enables me to do away entirely with the use of boltsfor clamping the several parts of the woodwork of the support together.

While I have described my improvement as a hammock-support, it isobvious that the structure may be used as a su pport for a chair orswing, if so desired.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a ridge-pole, of

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supporting-legs, means for hinging the members of a pair ofsupporting-legs on the ridgepole in position to swing toward and awayfrom each other to grip and release the ridgepole and means for holdingthe legs in their closed adjustment, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a ridge-pole, and collars arranged to looselyembrace the ridgepole, of supporting-legs hinged to the collars to swinginto and out of gripping contact with the ridge-pole and means forholding the legs in their closed adjustment, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with one of the end sections of a ridge-polecomprising top and bottom bars, of a bracket for rigidly spacing the topand bottom bars apart at their outer' ends, the said bracket beingprovided with seats, a collar arranged to loosely embrace the top andbottom bars and a pair of legs hinged to the said collar, the said legsbeing provided withbracketshavinginwardly-extended shoes adapted toengage the said seats for clamping the legs to the end section,substantially as set forth.

4. In a hammock-support, an end section of the ridge-pole comprising topand bottom bars, a bracket for rigidly spacing the inner ends of the topand bottom bars apart and a second` bracket for rigidly spacing theouter ends of the top and bottom bars apart, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a ridge-pole and supporting-legs arranged inpairs, of means for hinging the members of a pair of supporting-legs onthe ridge-pole to swing into and out of gripping contact and means forbodily adjusting a pair of supporting-legs toward and away from anotherpair of supporting-V legs without removing them from the ridgepole,substantially as set forth.

G. Abackboneforaha1nmock-support,comprising a middle section, twoextensible end sections, the middle section consisting of two side barsrigidly spaced apart about midway their length, for receiving betweenthem the end sections and means for drawing the side bars into bindingcontact with the end sections in different longitudinal adjustments,substantially as set forth.

7. Abackboneforahammock-supportcomprising a middle section and twoextensible end sections fitted to be clamped thereto, each end sectioncomprising top and bottom bars rigidly spaced apart at their oppositeends, substantially as set forth.

8. A backbone for ahammock-support comprising a middle section and twoextensible end sections, the middle section comprising two side barsrigidly spaced apart at'a point intermediate their ends and havinglongitudinal ribs on their inner faces, and the end sections eachconsisting of top and bottom bars fitted to be guided in their inwardand outward sliding movements by the said ribs on the middle section,substantially as set forth.

9. Abackboneforahammock-supportcomprisin g a middle section and endsections, the middle section comprising two longitudinal side bars and abracket for spacing the side bars rigidly apart at a point intermediatetheir ends, said bracket having two vertical portions extending alongthe inner sides of the side bars, a web connecting the vertical portions,and top and bottom extensions which embrace the top and bottom edges ofthe said side bars, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with the middle section of the backbone of ahammock-support, said middle section comprising two side bars, and anend section fitted to slide between the said side bars, of a clampingdevice for securing the two sections together, consisting of clipssecured to the outer sides of the two side bars of the middle section, ascrew-bolt passing through the clips and -side bars, said bolt havingits head engaged with one of the clips and its screw-threaded endprojecting through the other clip, and a clamping-nut engaging saidscrew-threaded end, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination with a backbone, a collar tted to loosely embracethe end of the backbone, swinging legs hinged to the said collar inposition to engage the backbone when swung toward each other forclamping the legs to the backbone and stops carried by the legs inposition to engage the collar for limiting the outward swingingmovements of the legs, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination with a backbone and a collar arranged to looselyembrace the end of the same, a pair of swinging legs hinged to thecollar in position to engage the backbone when swung toward each otherand means for holding the legs in their closed adjustment comprising apair of gripping devices arranged to slide along the legs and a flexibleconnection between the gripping devices, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 17th day of June, 1899.

ISAAC E. PALMER.

Witnesses:V

E. B. WETMORE, PAUL S. CARRIER.

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